Ducks and Chicks Together - Can they eat the same food?

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hillbilly123

hillbilly123

In the Brooder
7 Years
Mar 6, 2012
20
4
24
We are just raising our first flock of chicks and the kids wanted some ducks so I said "whats a couple more mouths to feed" and let them get them. They got two mallard ducklings. I have them in the same brooder with the chicks, eating the same 24% chick starter, water, etc. Do I need to do anything special for the mallards? Any special feed or treats to keep them happy?
 
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They love peas. Often people supplement Niacin for ducklings as well.
Good luck. The little weirdos are a real blast.

I found that putting their waterer over a tupperware fitted with a mesh "lid" kept a lot of the gross mess under control.
 
I have 4 ducklings with my 25 chicks. They have all eaten the same feed and drank from the same watere. Now they are all outside in the coop, I did put a pie pan in the coop full of water for the ducklings to spalsh in and rinse their nostrals. When they were indoors I just gave them tub or sink time each day .

I know some people say dont mix them but my Grandpa had ducks and chicken together all my life and he never had an issue.
 
My wife read something about "angel wing" that ducks can develop if they just eat chick feed. I guess I'd like to know if I should give them something to make sure they don't get that. Would just augmenting their feed with peas/lettuce, etc help with this?
 
Angelwing is caused by too much or too little protein. I would switch your feed because 24% is high for chicks as well. Technically, more than 16% protein is excessive for ducks but many of us don't have duck chow or waterfowl starter available. Ducks do better on lower protein but if anything you could feed Purina Flock Raiser 20% protein or Nutrena All Flock 18% protein or Purina Start n Grow 18% (I think).

Ducks need extra niacin for leg growth which can be provided in drinking water. 500 mg tab/capsule to 5 gallons water.
 
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jdywntr said:
Ducks need extra niacin for leg growth which can be provided in drinking water. 500 mg tab/capsule to 5 gallons water.
Click to expand...

Is the niacin safe for the chickens as well? I am about out of the 24% feed and plan to reduce to 20% in the next couple of days.
 
When mine were little I gave my chicks and ducklings the same UN-MEDICATED starter. Before switching to a locally produced grain blend when they got a bit larger, that meant using chick starter for ducks and wild game starter for chicks at various points. I did not have any problems.
 
700

Could anyone tell me what type of duck I have just incubated please... Drake is a Muscovy, I know but I have 3 females 2 what I think are Indian runners and a Muscovy. New at this they we're incubated for 25 day and this little duckling was hatched day 28
 

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